Invisible Force
by NothingImaginative
Summary: During yet another battle, the Avengers cross paths with a mysterious girl with mysterious powers. They all understand how it feels to be alone and afraid, cast out like a monster, feeling like you have no control over your life, so they begin to help her to find the long lost light she desperately needs. OC. Teamfic.
1. The Battle

**_Hello everyone! Thanks for clicking on my fanfiction, I hope you enjoy it! I'm having a good time writing this one but because of early exams and stuff it might not be updated to often. _**

**_This includes my own character but not really any pairings other than Clint/Natasha and maybe a bit of Tony/Pepper later on. _**

**_I obviously don't own the Avengers. If I did, I would make my own Iron Man suit. _**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

"Barton! Where are you?" Natasha cried through her headset while she took out two men who were approaching her from either side. She was tired and grimaced as she reloaded her gun from the pain in her chest, 'broken ribs' she told herself.

"I'm sort of busy here!" A gruff voice replied. It sounded as if he was running, "I'm out of arrows guys and this gun is only… going to last for… a little while longer!" He paused while the sounds of gunshots rang through from his own headset.

He heard Natasha say something but before he replied, Clint felt himself being thrown through the air as a result of an explosion caused by an unforgiving attack on a huge, green creature.

It had been tossed by the blast into the building Clint had settled near which had sent him flying alongside a ton of debris. The Hulk responded to this attack with a deafening roar. Picking up a broken girder from a pile of rubble, it launched it into the air as easily as one may throw a tennis ball. The metal impaled the unsuspecting helicopter, which had launched the barrage of bullets at the Hulk, and caused it to violently crash into the unforgiving river Thames.

Upon hearing the explosion and the crackling through her headset, Natasha called, "Clint! Are you still there?"

To her relief a groan pierced her ear followed by a violent cough, "I'm okay. So is Banner by the looks of his throw."

"What happened?" She responded as she brutally tackled another man to the ground. She stared at the device on her wrist and saw two small red lights and one green; no doubt the red lights represented Barton and Banner since they where the only other two Avengers stationed in this area leaving the green light to stand for her. (It was actually supposed to be just Barton and Romanoff but no one wanted to try and explain that to the Hulk when he was in 'smash mode'.)

Clint coughed once more, "Well lets just say the Hulk can demolish a building quicker than TNT and a bulldozer can."

Natasha snickered at this remark- the Hulk really was amazing, despite Bruce's protests. "I've got your position, hold on," she said, running. She turned the corner to see a street, covered in rubble and framed with the fire flickering from the windows in the abused buildings. "Crap. I see Banner has quite taken to this place."

"Personally, I find the streets to be quite narrow." Chimed yet another voice. "Want a lift Romanoff?" Before she could answer, she felt herself being lifted from the ground. Glancing up, she saw the familiar red and gold faceplate of Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit. She smiled despite her injuries at the sight of her metallic friend however her smile turned to an inquisitive stare when she spotted the damage to her teammate.

"Tony, what have you been doing? You look like you've just been mauled by a bear!" His suit had a large dent on the shoulder plate and an assortment of scratches all over the paintwork but what really grabbed her attention was the gaping hole just above the arc reactor. Tony had made sure when he made his suits that the reactor was protected with the strongest titanium alloy money could buy so that nothing could interfere with his 'heart'.

He laughed, "Nothing you should be concerned about. Barton, come in."

'We're by the river." Clint replied before the question was even asked.

Natasha raised her eyebrow, "Who's we?"

"Banner, Thor and me. The Captain is on his way. He told me he lost connection with you two."

Although Stark was flying slower than he usually did for Natasha's sake, they both arrived at the location Clint was supposedly found quickly.

Looking around the giant, open area bordering the London River, they searched for any signs of the Avengers. The dead bodies of the enemy that littered the flaming pathways around them were an obvious clue-this area had been cleared.

"JARVIS, scan the area for the others." Tony commanded his almost human AI.

Within seconds, JARVIS' British accent filled the ears of its master. "Sir, the personnel you requested are located one mile North-East of your position."

Tony smiled, "Thanks JARVIS. Romanoff, cab or turbo boosters?"

* * *

"Captain! To your right." Hawkeye called from his new perch upon a raised platform of a rather wrecked bridge.

The soldier spun around, using the momentum to fling his shield with a great power and ultimately severing the oncoming jeep in two. "Thanks Barton, keep me covered." He shouted through the headset while dodging a clump of men being thrown through the air by Thor. Clint continued to shoot at the enemies with the few bullets he had left, from his height he was able to see all around him and assess the situation the Avengers found themselves in.

Most of the opposition was easily going down but the factor that shocked Barton more than anything was the number of these people. They were approaching in the hundreds and seemed to be stronger than regular humans. The population of this large city had taken cover and made their way to safety with the help of the London Underground however many had been killed or injured because of the carnage on the streets.

Clint spun around; sensing something approaching from behind him however just as he turned his head, the object soared over him. The street below became incased in dust from the debris. As it cleared, Iron Man could be seen standing there already firing his repulsors at the attackers and Natasha was vaulting over cars to avoid the bullets aimed her way.

Clint let out a breath of relief. She was safe and in his sight… for now.

* * *

The team truly was assembled during this battle. Tony had again taken to the sky to face off against the helicopters that brought only more men, more guns and more trouble than needed. These men might be stronger than most but they were no match for the team of Thor and Mjölnir and the lightning power they possessed. Barton had left his post to come and join his teammates. Although his ammo for both his weapons had run out, he was far from powerless- his skill and speed with just his fists and a small knife proved that. Natasha's skill was just as amazing and her slender body made her able to dodge the brutal attacks flung her way- her movements really were like that of a Black Widow. The pile of men that lay in a heap at Steve's feet were the result of his brute strength and the force of the collisions with his mighty shield. And the Hulk was doing what he did best…Smashing.

As the enemy numbers depleted, the Avengers relaxed slightly. It was easy to finish off the last of the army; most of them were running away anyways.

"The puny humans run!" Thor shouted in delight, raising his hammer in a victory stance.

Natasha glared at him, "Hey, we're humans too…"

"But you have honour! You do not run from battle!" He bellowed back at her.

Tony soared down to join his friends; he let out an irritated sigh, "Look at the state of this place! You know we're the ones who will need to clean it up. Where's Banner anyways?"

"He'll be somewhere. Don't worry about him." Clint sighed.

Steve ran over to the exhausted heroes, "Team! It's not over yet!"

Tony groaned again.

"What do you mean?" Clint said, interrupting Tony's sulking.

"Where do you think they are running? How do you think they all got here? I think we have all figured out they are not normal human beings. They arrived in great numbers out of thin air!" The captain replied, almost desperate.

"They must have a airship carrier or something that can carry a large amount of men." Natasha muttered.

By this time, Tony had become bored and lifted himself into the sky to see if he could spot the whereabouts of the runaways. What he didn't understand was that if there were a 'mother ship' then surely it would've joined in the battle.

Just as that thought passed his mind, he spotted something peculiar.

The others watching him as he did so, Tony flew over the river Thames and observed the strange patterns in the water. There were ripples of it dispersing in a circular pattern, much like when a single droplet of liquid hits a puddle and the impact causes the surface to push water away. This pattern grew and grew until the ripples were more like waves. Iron Man flew lower towards the surface to get a closer look.

"Stark, what are you doing?" Clint asked warily, "Get away from there, you don't know what it is."

Tony ignored this statement and circled the river…until he realised what it was. "Guys, get ready for another battle."

They watched as the suit ascended quickly, followed by an eruption of water as a ship-not much different from the S.H.I.E.L.D aircraft carrier (only smaller and with many more weapons)- rose out of the waves. It began to hover in the air turning to face the team obviously aiming for an attack.

"Run humans!" Thor commanded, pointing to the streets behind him.

Her eyes glued on the advancing war machine, Natasha laughed a shaky laugh. "So now you think we are puny humans?" Clint glanced at her, "Of course we are not going to run away. We're a team." Barton really did admire the woman who stood before him. Not only was she skilled and powerful, she was brave and loyal, something most people take for granted. However he knew they could do nothing for the guns this ship possessed could destroy them instantly. Tony seemed to read his mind.

"Romanoff, as much as I admire your bravery, you can't stay there. Neither can Barton. You two are only human and your guns can do nothing against this thing."

Just as she was about to reply, the airship opened fire. The team were sent into defensive measures, Steve tucking in behind his shield, Natasha ducking behind a burning car with Clint and Thor deflecting the bullets like he was playing a simple game of Ping-Pong. Tony however was easily able to miss the bullets and fired concentrated beams from his repulsors at the ship.

"Lets go Romanoff!" Clint yelled over the sound of metal on metal. This time, she did not argue as he led her down a side alley away from the immediate danger.

"Thor!" The demi-God looked over to see Steve point at the sky.

Swinging his hammer, Thor summoned the clouds. They swirled and sparked above their heads as the energy condensed into one great beam of pure lightning and shot straight into the head of Mjölnir. Thor then directed the hammer at the ship, sending the energy to engulf the whole machine.

Time seemed to stop. The Avengers watched as the lighting sparked out, hoping the battle would be over.

Within moments, the shooting had recommenced and Tony was caught off-guard. The spray of bullets hit him harshly in the gut causing him to loose his balance and fall towards the water. "JARVIS! Full power to the thrusters!" Using the strength he had left, the Iron Man was able to propel himself towards the side of the river but the suit had taken a pounding and the power was low.

"Tony!" Steve cried although he knew he couldn't hear him.

"He shall not die now!" Thor shouted with his mighty voice, spinning his hammer yet again, preparing to jump.

But before he could, something amazing happened. Stark stopped falling. His body seemed to just sit there in mid-air. The people on-board the ship noticed this too and sent a stream of bullets in his direction.

Despite his surprise and curiosity about the circumstance he was tide up in, Tony braced himself for impact, however nothing happened. He looked up to see the bullets bouncing away from him but not even making contact. "JARVIS, what is this?" He asked.

"It seems to be some kind of force-field sir." JARVIS replied.

"Force…" As he was about to finish, he felt his stomach jump because of the sudden movement of his body.

"What is happening?" Thor demanded from the riverside.

Steve saw Tony was floating towards the bridge Clint had been perched upon and set off towards it, Thor following closely.

* * *

Tony felt himself being set on solid ground again, on a bridge to be exact. But how he actually got there was a mystery. He knew it was some kind of force field but what he didn't understand is how that is possible.

He stood up, looking around for the cause of the field that saved him from a watery death. He saw a figure standing by the edge of the bridge with its arms held out in front of it-almost as if they were going to jump.

"Wait!" He cried, "Who are you?" The figure didn't move but kept their arms held out. "Hello?"

Tony stood up, he suddenly felt a rush of blood to the head and so, steadying himself he looked to the river, remembering the ship still attacking London but somehow, he felt different, more confident as if he knew there was nothing to worry about.

"Tony! A voice cried from behind him, "Are you okay? What happened?" It was Steve asking questions as usual however this time Tony didn't know the answers.

"I, I don't know." He replied quietly while still looking at the figure across the bridge.

It hit him like a train. Staring at the person and then at the river, he realised they were the one who saved him and were doing so right at that very moment. Tony had thought the bullets had ceased but actually this person was holding them back using the same invisible force field that saved him.

Out of nowhere, a great groaning noise swept from the river. The ship was turning but was tipping at a weird angle. It must have hit the force field that was being released and because it was moving slowly, thanks to the lightning Thor had produced, it didn't have to power to break through it.

"Man of Iron! Explain this magic!" Thor cried, frustrated.

A sudden cry of pain shook through the air. "It's a girl!" Tony gasped, wide eyed as he ran toward the figure who still stood like a statue but with her eyes painfully forced shut and her mouth stuck in a grimace-she was concentrating on this force field like her life depended on it- which it did.

"Is she okay?" Said a shocked Steve, walking towards her to touch her arm.

"No don't!" Screamed Tony but before he could stop him, the Captain laid his bulky hand on the girl's shoulder and was immediately blown backward off of his feet leaving the girl crying in pain.

It was Thor who interrupted this scene, "Friends!" The whole ship had been turned on its side and smoke was seeping from the engines. The group stood in awe, watching as the machine was forced back into the river no doubt drowning everyone inside.

After the city finally fell into silence, the heroes stood, taking in their surroundings. The city was saved. Everything was okay. The girl fell.

* * *

**_Please tell me what you think of it so far. Should I keep it going? _**

**_Thanks for reading! :)_**


	2. Strangers

**_Hello again! Thank you for all the reviews and stuff, I'm glad that some of you are willing to follow this story. From now on I think the chapters are going to be shorter thanks to these exams that I need to revise for. Please tell me if you like this story because I'm enjoying writing it. Hopefully the next few chapters won't be too boring for anyone, I'm just writing whatever comes into my head which can vary from interesting to extremely crap. _**

* * *

Minutes after the airship had gone down, a SHIELD helicopter had arrived to pick up the Avengers. Natasha and Clint had already been collected and were rubbing their sore muscles and looking for other injuries they may have gotten during the fight. A second helicopter could be seen rising from the roof of a building across the river, no doubt retrieving the newly humanized Banner.

It was when Tony carried the small girl onto the vehicle the questions began. He had been asked by three different people to explain what had happened when the bullets had struck him however he wasn't able to answer any of them. All he could tell his friends was that this girl, who Natasha had identified as at least fifteen years old, had managed to create some kind of force field that had saved his life. According to Steve, who had learned basic medical training in the army, the girl had no immediate injured but she had knocked herself out and needed to rest for a while. They noticed, however, that she had scratches and bruises all over her skin, whether she had gotten in a fight with someone or had been hurt during the battle, no one could tell. Her long auburn hair-much like Natasha's- was dirty and, until Romanoff gently swept it from her face, had been lying in the blood that leaked from her nose and a gash in her face. No one seemed to mind her presence but everyone was wondering the same thing, how was it possible that she could create these force fields? They all had fun teasing Tony anyways about how he had been saved by a girl.

* * *

It took a little over twenty minutes to reach the S.H.I.E.L.D air base and the Avengers were glad to be back in an area of safety. As soon as they stepped off their helicopter, a team of medical staff ran over to them and guided them to the hospital. Tony, who had removed his armour in the chopper, gently carried the frail body of his saviour.

"Ow!" Cried Natasha as a nurse eased her slashed trousers off her to reveal a large gash in her leg.

Steve looked over from his seat; he had not sustained many serious injuries, only a broken rib or two but being the super soldier that he was, the pain did not bother him. "Are you okay?"

She mumbled again as her wound was dressed. "Yes, I'm fine. Have you seen Banner?"

"He's talking with Fury. I think it's about her, actually." Tony said, staring intently at his hands. Everyone knew 'she' was actually the girl they had encountered. As soon as Fury saw that they had brought back an 'outsider', he had almost lost his mind. Tony had to convince him that she wasn't a normal human and that she had saved him so Banner had gone to help locate the CCTV files so Fury could witness the event that had taken place in London.

"Do all young humans possess this power?" Asked Thor. He had never really met a young human so, naturally, he was curious.

"No. Actually, no one on Earth has ever held powers like these." Said Bruce who had just walked into the room, "How is everyone?"

"I'm not too bad. Just a little scratch here and there." Tony replied, which was actually a lie. He had received quite a nasty slice through his skin above his 'heart' thanks to the blades of a helicopter but he didn't seem to be to keen to discuss it so his team stayed quiet. "What's going to happen to her?"

Bruce shook his head, "I don't know. She's awake now but she won't speak to anyone. She's scared."

Tony stood up and silently left.

Clint sighed but Steve looked confused, "I've never seen Stark act this way. What do you think is wrong?" He asked.

"Tony's a genius but this is something he has never seen before so obviously he wants to investigate." Clint said, speaking for the first time and wincing as he did so-he had taken quite a punch from the attackers and had dislocated his shoulder and broken a few ribs.

Natasha regained her inquisitive look, "I wonder who she is."

* * *

"Fury."

The colonel lifted his head from the computer screen he was working on and when he saw it was only Stark, he returned his gaze to the screen. "Yes. What is it?"

"What are you planning to do with the girl?" He replied simply.

At this question, Nick Fury looked up and stared directly into his face. "I don't think that is any of your concern, Stark."

"I think it is. After all, she saved me, she saved the Avengers and technically she saved London." Tony retorted in a serious manner.

"I don't care who she has saved. It is none of your business." Stated Fury, he was not in the mood to be argued with.

Tony glared at him, "She saved my life."

"Look Stark, I don't care if she saved your life. She's dangerous. You will not speak with her." Fury was nearly shouting now.

"Dangerous! She's only a girl! Even if she is dangerous, she's not evil. If she was, she wouldn't try to save me!" Tony yelled back, punching Nick Fury's desk and leaning forward on his knuckles.

The man in front of him stood up and scowled down at him, "This 'girl' took down an entire helicarrier by herself. If she wants to, she could pull this place apart from the inside."

"So what do you plan to do with her then."

"I have told you. That is none of your business. We are simply going to observe her."

Tony smirked, "Observe her, like a laboratory experiment?"

"Stark, until we discover exactly what she is, you should stay out of the way." Fury's voice was cold, unforgiving and angry. He clearly did not want to discuss this.

"What she is! She is a human child! A child should be with her family! Not in a secret association where every one of her moves are tracked and where she is kept shut up in a cell simply for being her!" Tony was livid.

Fury sighed, "Stark, as much as I do not want to do this, we can't let a potential danger wander around the streets of London. You saw what she did to that ship, she could do that to this one too. We won't release her unless we understand what she is. Until then, she must remain separate."

Tony Stark stood up straight, glowered at Nick Fury then swiftly left the room. If what he said about her being separate was true, he knew exactly where to find her.

* * *

It hadn't taken long for the team to get fixed up as best they could and within ninety minutes, they had all been released from the medical ward. Clint decided to head back to his cabin for some rest, he was annoyed that he couldn't practice his archery for a few days and was going to try and sleep away his irritation. Steve had made his way up to the training room as he usually did after a mission with Thor (the demi-god decided to see how humans gain their power). Meanwhile Natasha and Bruce made their way to Banner's lab.

"So what do you think they are then?" Natasha asked Bruce who was standing next of her wearing a lab coat and hovering over one of the bodies of the 'men' they had fought in London. The corps that lay on the table was dressed in a thick, leather suit and, before Banner removed them, a black pair of goggles had sat on its forehead.

Bruce dragged his fingers through his hair, "I have no idea. They look like humans, fight like humans and even bleed like humans but they're not human. Their internal structure is different, the muscle that protects the heart and organs is much thicker and if you look closely, their eyes are peculiar."

The assassin leaned closer to the face of the creature and noticed the pupils were dilated massively and the tissue around them shone red, "But this is surely because it's dead?"

"You'd think that wouldn't you. But the redness around the eyes has only appeared since we have removed their goggles." Bruce said, picking up the eye protection that lay on the bench.

Natasha looked upward into the light that shone from the ceiling, "So you think it could be associated with the light?"

"That's what I think it could be, yes. These goggles aren't for protection; the lens is too thin but it's completely black. If you look at these eyes, they are similar to that of an Owl too. So if I had to make a wild guess, I would say these things have sensitive eyes and the light seems to burn them on contact. The pupils are so large because they must live somewhere dark or they hibernate but considering the burning around them, I would say they live somewhere dark." Bruce stated, still admiring the goggles.

"And that place is obviously not Earth."

"No. But we've done all we can. We leave the dissection to the experts." Banner said as he removed his lab coat. Natasha and Bruce left the room to go report their findings to Fury and Stark.

* * *

Being the genius he was, Tony had easily been able to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D's databases and files. Nothing was kept private from him. He even installed JARVIS into the system so he would be prepared for events like this.

"JARVIS, is she in here?" Tony said as he approached a large metal door with the words: NO UNAUTHORISED ENTRY imprinted upon it.

"Yes, sir. S.H.I.E.L.D is streaming live video footage of this room directly to the control centre of the helicarrier however." The AI responded.

"Do you think you can deactivate it?" Tony asked, searching the area for any kind of access to the room.

"I could try sir but the software protecting this footage is highly guarded and it may take some time."

"Never mind." He replied, giving up on finding a way in, "Just open this door and once I get in, deactivate the automatic lock sequence. That should give me enough time to speak with her before it is opened manually."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Still carrying the strange goggles in his gentle hands, Bruce walked through the door that had automatically slid open followed by Natasha. Fury was leaning down at a monitor staring closely at it with the usual stern glare plastered on his face. Maria Hill, his first in command, stood next to him, also staring down at the screen as she muttered something to him, she too displayed a bitter look.

"Sir, we have some news to deliver," Natasha announced smartly to her boss.

Fury looked up, "Not now, Romanoff. We have a situation."

She walked round the desk to face the monitor. Bruce did the same.

On screen, they could see the girl sitting emotionlessly in a large, empty, glass container. "Why is she in there?" Bruce cried, "She is just a girl, not a monster!"

"Its just procedure." Fury replied, never taking his eyes off of the video.

Although she didn't say anything, Natasha agreed with Bruce. The girl did not deserve this. "Why would you think this necessary?" Banner asked, again not impressed.

"To avoid any damage," Maria answered, "If she began to get hostile she could tear this place apart. We can't risk that."

"This isn't right," Banner argued.

Fury turned to him, "You know, you sound a lot like Stark. He came to me earlier, argued with me about her and now you are just reciting the argument."

"Can you blame me?" He said bluntly.

Natasha raised her hand, "Quiet. Look."

They all watched as the doors that lead to the room that held the container opened.

* * *

Tony walked into the room just like he walked anywhere, confidently and smoothly. He honestly believed this girl was not dangerous and should not be caged up like this.

"Hello?" He called. He walked around the pipes and metal supports to reach the side of the container. Tony saw her sitting there on the opposite side of the room, legs crossed, head down and shaking, whether it was from the cold air that seeped into the room from the hole in the ship (which was in case the prisoner attempted to escape) or the fear of being alone in this strange place, he did not know. "Hello, my name's Tony, what's your name?" He spoke softly and calmly.

The girl slowly looked up. Her hair had been washed and shone in the light and replacing her dirty jeans and a jumper was a pair of jogging bottoms and a large blue hoodie that matched the trainers that lay on her feet. Her large brown eyes were tired and showed trace of tears before her shaky hand brushed them away. She did not reply.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I only wish to know your name." Tony said, again his voice was calm and soothing instead of his usual sarcastic and confident tone. She backed up against the side of the glass away from him as he took a step closer. Tony sighed; he just wished to talk to her.

* * *

"What's he doing?" Bruce asked as he watched Tony attempt to talk the girl.

Fury growled, "Something he's not supposed to be doing. Maria, send down some men to get him out of there."

"Yes sir."

* * *

To make her feel less edgy, Tony sat down on the steel grates outside of the container. "I bet you've had a rough time lately, huh?" He asked, a little less formal. He didn't even sound like Tony Stark.

The girl stared at him wide-eyed, she was almost traumatised at the sudden kindness of this stranger. Her mother had once told her to never trust a stranger but right now, everyone was a stranger and she couldn't trust any one, but this man, was different. He looked confident and smart but she could see that he too had suffered before. "Ebony," she whispered, "my name is Ebony."


	3. Conversations

**_Thanks for all the follows guys! It really means a lot to me. So this chapter is shorter as I said in the last chapter but I hope you enjoy it all the same._**

* * *

"Sir, the men have attempted to access the room however all our entry codes have been overridden." Maria Hill reported to Fury who was still watching the screen in front of him. He felt an unusual sensation, confusion. How was Tony Stark, the selfish man he had met a few years ago, able to connect so well with an emotionally damaged child?

"Tell the men to be prepared for him when he leaves but do not interrupt." He answered to the surprise of Bruce and Maria. Natasha however smiled.

Maria stuttered, "Sir, are, are you sure?"

"Lets just see how this turns out."

* * *

Tony smiled, "nice to meet you Ebony. I must say thank you for what you did for me. You saved my life." He felt all of his usual cockiness ebb out of his voice. He knew he must be very patient with her after all she had been through.

Ebony shifted uncomfortably, "You needed help."

"And thank you for giving me that help. I wouldn't be sitting here otherwise." He replied.

Ebony gave him an unusual stare, "Why are you being nice to me?"

Tony studied the girl; she looked very confused, "Why shouldn't I be nice to you?"

She dropped her head; "No one has been nice to me for a long time."

"Really? What about your family?"

Her voice was barely audible; "I haven't had them for a long time either."

Tony felt his heart begin to ache; he too knew the feeling of loosing parents, "I'm sorry." He could see her wiping away her tears.

"Not your fault," she mumbled.

Desperate to change the subject, Tony asked the first thing that came into his head, "So where do you live?"

"Doesn't matter."

He realised he had ruined his chance; he had brought back some painful memories for the both of them and knew this conversation couldn't be salvaged. "I'm sorry, Ebony but I should be going." Tony apologised, standing up and making his way to the door JARVIS had secured for him.

"I once lived on a small farm," he turned, surprised by the quiet outburst of speech, "I lived there with my family. We had a hidden garden amongst the trees by the house, my sister and I used to climb the trees together every evening so we could see the sunset. We helped our dad tend to the animals, we had pigs and sheep and even horses." Tony had sat back down by the glass and was listening intently, "Every winter, we would go sledging down the hill next to the fields when it was snowing," Ebony suddenly let out a sad laugh, "We would get to the bottom of the hill and because we were going so fast we would have to jump off. Then, when we were cold and tired, we would go back to the house where we would sit in front of the fire with mugs of hot chocolate. We would go horse riding in the summer and collecting conkers in autumn. " She stopped. Her head was still facing the floor and delicate tears splashed gently against her still hands.

She continued her story but her voice had changed to a pained whisper, "I was eleven and was walking home from school when…" she swallowed a lump in her throat, "when I saw the ambulance rush past me. I didn't think anything of it really; I just hoped that wherever it was headed, the people were okay. And then I got home and saw the fire." The tears fell freely now. "I didn't even scream. I couldn't. All I could do was watch. I couldn't even see the house from all the smoke. After that, all I can remember was standing, watching." She leaned back against the glass and let her tear stained face bathe in the yellow light, "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

At this point, Tony was speechless. His heart was thumping slightly faster than before and his mind was full of painful thoughts he had hidden away for many years.

"I remember walking through the garden a few weeks after. All the trees had been burned and the leaves had turned to ash. They never did understand how the fire started. I left for London the next day."

* * *

The conversation had thrown the room into silence. Natasha was sitting with her back against the wall, chewing at her fingernails, Bruce stood next to Fury, unmoving but clearly disturbed and Maria had dropped the professional look she had sustained up until this point. Only Fury remained looking as intimidating as he usually did.

After the moment had passed and the silence had became an awkward one, Natasha spoke, "It still doesn't explain how she gained her 'powers'."

"No, but it does show that she is regaining trust in the people around her." Bruce interjected.

"Not necessarily Banner," Fury said sternly (he had not been affected by this scene in the slightest.)

"It is possible she felt she needed to get it out. I remember when I was her age and I would just pore out all my worries to the first person I met," Maria explained.

"Sill, our mission is to discover her powers, not learn her life story." Romanov said, not comfortable with the situation-she really didn't understand children.

"What life story?" Steve asked as he walked in through the automatic door with a towel lying around his neck and a sweaty brow, "By the way Nick, you may need some new weights for the dumbbells. Thor 'the mighty' decided to bend them all at once to prove how strong he was but once he realised it was midguardian metal, they were already snapped."

"Never mind that Steve."

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Bruce pointed at the panel.

* * *

Tony didn't know how to react. He was used to these painful memories and was able to push them all to the back of his mind where they had been stored for years. He had his work to take his mind off of any thought that bothered him, and he was Tony Stark, working was pretty much all he did. Ebony, however was not able to hide these feelings, she had nothing to keep these feelings suppressed, she couldn't work to keep them at bay and keeping her trapped in this tank was not helping.

"Listen to me, I know what you are feeling, I know how awful it is to loose someone so close to you but you have to stay strong." Ebony had stopped crying and was watching Tony through blurred eyes, "You have potential. You're brave, great and powerful."

The girl stopped and snapped her head up to face him, her tears were now those of anger and she looked betrayed. "These 'powers' are not 'great'. They are horrid. They have taken everything from me! They are not a blessing as many people have told me! They are a _curse_!"

"You know, I have a friend that said exactly the same thing to me once." Tony replied, standing up and leaning against the railings to his right. "He is one of the smartest and most modest people you will ever meet. There are millions of brilliant words to describe him. But you see he has this other side to him, that is also brilliant but in a different way. Just like you, he detests his powers, thinking they do more bad than good. But he's wrong."

Ebony stared at him with intrest before dropping her head, "I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about it."

"Well, I don't talk about most things unless I have too." He sighed.

"I haven't spoken to many people in the last three years."

"Well, I wish I could say the same. Most of the people I talk to bore the crap out of me," Tony grunted.

"Who do you usually talk to?" She replied.

"A man who still doesn't know how to turn on the TV. Isn't that right Steve?" He shouted to the camera.

And for the first time in three years, Ebony smiled.

* * *

_**Sorry for the sad story; I can't write emotional pieces. Please review!**_


	4. Progress

_**Thanks for all the support, I'm still enjoying writing this and I hope you're all still interested. Please tell me what you think.**_

* * *

Tony had been forced to leave the room where he and Ebony had their conversation. Lets just say Fury wasn't completely pleased he had been ignored.

"What was that about? I told you it was none of your business, Stark!"

Tony sat with his feet up on the conference table, his fellow Avengers, minus Clint, all staring at him, "I felt it was," he said without looking up from the papers he held in his hands.

"Can you tell me why?"

"Never mind that, what I want to know is why you left me in there. I know you could've easily charged in and pulled me out. If you're so concerned, then why didn't you?" The Avengers all looked at Fury, they had been wondering the same thing.

Nick leaned back into his chair and rested his hands on the desk, "Because, Stark, you may be obnoxious and stubborn…"

"You forgot brilliant…"

"But you seem to connect with that girl quite well." Fury finished, glaring at the man across the table.

Steve looked at Tony. He really was a difficult person to understand; one minute he's cocky and confident, the next he's funny and relaxed but Steve had never seen the side of him that was fragile and understanding like he was with Ebony, "Yeah Tony, how did you do it? You're not the guy to speak to children."

He shrugged then mumbled; "I'm Tony Stark. I can do anything."

"Tony..."

He sighed but kept his bored tone. "I guess I can relate to her. You heard what she's gone through and I've dealt with similar situations."

Bruce was the first to stand up, "Nick, sir, would it be okay if I could monitor Ebony and see if I can discover anything that could help us to figure out her powers?" He hadn't said a word about the speech Tony had given to Ebony. He knew he was talking about him and a sudden feeling of happiness had flowed though his tainted veins. He reminded himself to thank Stark later.

Fury considered this for a moment, "You have my permission however keep the camera on at all times."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Everyone turned to Stark who was looking at Fury with a firm stare, "You let her out of there. I'm pretty sure she's not going to hurt us."

"Fine, but keep her in the isolation chamber in the lab and call me if anything out of the ordinary occurs but do not attempt to intervene yourself." Deep down, buried under all the secrets and the lies, Nick Fury did have a sense of feeling and that feeling was confusion and interest-even he wanted the mystery of this girl to be discovered.

"Thank you." And with that Bruce left.

Thor rose quite dramatically to his feet, knocking over his chair and pushing the table forward a few feet, making his friends either smirk or glare at him in response. "I must retreat for now. Even us mighty Asguardians need rest."

Natasha looked at her watch to discover it was almost midnight. "Yeah, I should really get off too. Training early tomorrow."

"I suggest we all get some sleep; it's been a hard day today and tomorrow it's going to be the same." Steve suggested, also standing up. They all followed his example and emptied their chairs, making their way to the door, "You too, Tony. We're going to have to clean up so we might as well get some rest." Tony snatched the papers from the desk and followed his teammates out the door; he really didn't feel like sleeping, his head didn't either.

Fury watched while his team left the room. He was glad he had founded the Avengers; somehow he thought they were too.

* * *

Ebony was slumped against the side of the glass container. She kept on asking herself why she was here, she knew the answer but why should she be punished for something she can't control. She didn't even want these 'gifts'. Looking back on her conversation with the man who called himself Tony, she realized how stupid she had been. She had told him her secrets. She had spoken about her powers. She had cried-crying is a sign of weakness she told herself. Feeling tired, confused and tearful, she covered her face with her hands; these bright lights weren't helping either.

She awoke with a jolt, how long had she been sleeping for? A banging echoed through the room as the door at the other side of the glass swept open and a group of armed men walked in followed by a man in a lab coat. The man walked over to the control panel by the glass doors and typed a code in which caused the doors to her prison to slide clear.

She jumped to her feet but immediately fell to the ground because of her legs that had remained unused for hours. Using the glass to support her, she clambered to a stance. The man approached slowly like he was nearing a frightened animal.

"Hello Ebony, my name is Bruce. I'm a scientist here and I would like to help you." The man introduced.

Ebony remained quiet and furrowed her brow. The only person who knew her name was Tony and he had promised not to tell anyone untrustworthy of her before the men had taken him away. As much as she didn't want to, she trusted Tony and so, she felt she could trust this man too-maybe.

"I promise I won't hurt you. I heard you have some issues you're not happy with- maybe I can help. But we won't do anything until morning." He smiled, "We have a bed that you can sleep in if you want. It beats this place by a mile."

She had not said anything but followed him out of the container along the impressive corridors of the structure. The men with the guns shadowed her, prepared in case she decided to attack, but she didn't and she soon found herself walking into a white room with a small bed. There was nothing much in the room other than an adjacent bathroom and a bedside table. She had no belongings so that wouldn't be needed but the bed looked like the comfiest thing in the world compared to that chamber she had been released from. The men left when the scientist told them they wouldn't be needed and he excused himself soon after, reminding her she was safe and nothing bad were to happen to her. Ebony's head was exhausted and didn't really care what happened to her later because right now all she wanted to do was sleep. So removing her clothes, she slumped down into the bed and closed her eyes.

* * *

Bruce had been slouched at his desk in the lab for three hours, analysing the alien body he had removed the goggles from but found nothing too interesting. He didn't usually drink coffee but today was an exception with the girl to be kept under constant surveillance and the work to be completed.

After a simple hour of basic and boring observation of the body a strange sound bounced around the room. A rattling could be identified leaking from the speakers, linked to a monitor that had direct contact with the camera in the room Ebony was in. Confused, Bruce made his way over to the computer concerned and shook the mouse to return the display from the screen saver and he was immediately looking at the video feed being recorded from the isolation room. Ebony was thrashing around in her sleep, rocking the bed and shaking rather badly.

Bruce ran over to the other side of the room and picked up his Bluetooth communicator, "Fury, you might want to send someone down here."

"What's going on down there, Banner?" A voice replied harshly.

"Ebony is shaking badly in her sleep, it could be nothing but who knows what she could do in her sleep." A sudden crash blasted through the speakers, "Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good."

"Men are on their way to collect her, do not attempt to secure her yourself, Banner."

Once he had disconnected from Fury, he lunged back over to the computer and noticed the bedside table in the isolation room had been knocked off its feet and was lying, smashed at the opposite side of the room. Ebony was still sleeping but instead of thrashing about, she was now huddled in the foetus position at the edge of the bed with her face screwed up in some sort of pain. He knew Fury had told him to not get involved but he couldn't just leave her like this so he grabbed his medical bag just in case and slipped from the room.

* * *

Tony awoke with a jump to realize he had fallen asleep in his laboratory on the helicarrier. Instead of retreating to his room when the rest of the Avengers had, he had returned to his work that, at that time, had been to fix up the damaged Iron Man armour he had worn in battle.

"JARVIS, what's the time?" He said as he dragged his reluctant body out of the chair he had fallen asleep in.

"Three twenty-five in the morning, sir."

He groaned, stretching his back, he had forgotten to get his coffee before he had begun his work. A sudden bang echoed through the metal room, "JARVIS, what was that?"

The British voice rung throughout the lab just as clearly as the banging had, "It seems to be from the isolation room located in the main laboratory. A video link is available, I am sending it to your computer now sir."

Leaning forward on his hands, Tony accessed the file JARVIS had sent and watched as sleeping Ebony writhed amongst the white covers that pinned her down to the thin mattress.

"Here come the nightmares."

* * *

**_Sorry for the slow progression! I hope you enjoyed! _**


	5. Nightmare

_**Thank You so much for all the support! I'm glad people are enjoying this story and taking time to favourite, follow or review. Thank you! ^^**_

* * *

Bursting into the room, Bruce was relived to see that the lab remained empty but he knew he didn't have long before the men followed him in. The isolation room wasn't really isolated; it was actually attached to the lab and had a large pane of reinforced glass placed in the wall, allowing the scientist to look into the room where Ebony was shaking violently, her fists were screwed up into tight balls and her knees were covering her face.

Carefully, Bruce unlocked the metal door and stepped around the smashed bedside table that had been flung across the small area. He approached Ebony slowly, "Ebony, can you hear me?" All he got in reply was a quiet, painful cry, it was when he looked closer at her tiny form that he saw the blood seeping from her hands- her nails had dug into her palms and the red liquid stained the white sheets of the bed when it had found its way from her fist. Whatever was going on, it was hurting her.

He swung his head around in panic as the laboratory door banged against the wall behind it, announcing the arrival of a new face. Bruce felt his heartbeat slow when the confident face of Tony Stark strode in. Confusion broke out on his features when he saw Bruce, he began to say something but it was cut of by the sound of clear, harsh footsteps that were making their way down the hall towards them. Tony saw Bruce's eye widen at the sound and understood what was going on, nodding he stepped back outside.

The scientist heard Tony's cocky voice begin to explain to the stubborn agents that the trouble had been averted and there was nothing for them to worry about. Sighing, Bruce stepped even closer to the girl who had been surprisingly quiet and whispered, "Ebony, I need to say something." Nothing was said and the S.H.I.E.L.D agents were getting restless by the sound of their tone. "Can you hear me?" He didn't want those armed men charging in and causing any trouble, it wouldn't make the situation any better.

* * *

"There is no need for you to enter. The subject is asleep and any unnecessary disruptions may cause her to become distressed," Tony explained in his most formal tone.

"Mr Stark, we have strict orders from Fury himself to contain the threat at hand," one of the agents spat, obviously annoyed at the unexpected barrier known as Iron Man.

Tony lowered his voice, "I don't care what Fury says-I am telling you that you can't enter here. Haven't I explained that she is not a threat? Now please, you wouldn't want our friend the scientist in here to get upset about this, would you…?" he said smirking, "he might get quite…angry."

The agent held his professional stance but Tony saw him swallow his fear, "I understand, sir." And with that, the group of men pivoted and marched back down the corridor.

Tony smiled and turned back to the room, "Those agents! They're almost as annoying as Steve! Not quite, but close."

"Shh!" Bruce hissed, "She's not doing too well."

Tony jogged over to the door that stood open in the isolation room as Bruce yet again tried to communicate with Ebony. She was still shaking and hadn't moved in ages. "I don't know what's wrong."

"I do. She's having a nightmare." Bruce stared at Tony. "What? It makes sense doesn't it? She's been through hell recently."

All of a sudden, she stopped shaking. Both the geniuses stood confused, how could it just disappear like nothing had happened? But then Bruce saw that she remained tense and his Other Guy was able to see the thin layer of blue light that shone from her fingers. He suddenly understood what is was and spun, instinctively and leapt, pushing Tony and himself out of the door. Meanwhile Ebony violently, flung her arms out, sending a powerful force blasting from her hunched body and causing the whole room to shudder and the reinforced glass to smash outwards, the benches in the lab were stripped of their content and the stools which sat around them had been picked off of their feet and slammed into the wall.

* * *

Clint's eyes were forced open and he felt his cabin shake. Automatically, his uninjured arm shot out and grabbed his bow, ready to slam it into any intruders, but there were none. The floor below his tense feet stopped shuddering and his pulse slowly relaxed but his brain was still awake and ready for the attack that was not coming.

He opened his bedroom door and poked his head out, expecting to see men charging past to mend a failing engine or Fury storming down to the cabins to tell the Avengers to keep the experiments to themselves, however there was no one. He glanced at his wristwatch and was surprised to see that it was only about half three in the morning. He hadn't slept for that long yet he felt rested, so keeping his bow slung around his shoulders for the warm sense of protection, he set off to find out what the shaking was all about. The science laboratories were stationed below the cabins, it was most likely that they could be behind this.

* * *

Carefully lifting his arm, he pulled his body up from the cold floor. He had dived over Tony, knocking him to the floor and shielding him with his arm to protect him from the impact he knew was going to hit them. Around them lay thick shards of glass and their ears were plagued with an uncomfortable ringing.

"Aw, thanks for that, I didn't know you cared for me so much," Tony said sitting up and rubbing his head, at least he hadn't lost his sarcasm, "can you tell me what just happened?"

Bruce picked himself up and held out a hand to help his snarky friend up too, "She just sent out a 'force field' and by the damage…" he looked around, "I can tell she felt threatened and subconsciously created it to protect herself from…something."

The two men stepped over the broken glass and made their way to Ebony. She now lay in an empty bed with the sheets slumped by the wall, the mattress remained intact however was still stained with blood and drenched in sweat, the girl herself lay perfectly still, but she was awake. "Ebony?" The girl leapt up, slamming her back against the wall behind the bed, her bloodshot eyes full of tears and open wide. "Ebony it's okay, we're not going to hurt you." Bruce said comfortingly while Tony gently took her bleeding hand. She snatched it away before the pain shot up her arm and her mouth grimaced.

"I'm only going to have a look at your hands, see if we can stop them bleeding," Tony said, returning to his calming voice again. Ebony seemed to recognise him and her fear ebbed away as she closed her tired eyes and leaned her head back against the wall as he inspected her hands. "Bruce we need a bandage."

"That bad, huh?"

"She doesn't have sharp nails, it looks like she has bitten them off but there are small scars on her palms that have been there for a while and I think she has just reopened them." Tony sighed.

Bruce made his way through the lab to the first aid kit, stepping over stools and paper, he called back to Tony through the open gap where the reinforced glass once obscured, "does she have any more injuries?"

"None I can see but who knows, she most likely has mental scars." The girl screwed up her face as Tony cleaned her hands with one of the antibiotic wipes he carried with him when he usually worked on the Iron Man suit. "Are you okay?" He asked her. She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I'm fine."

"What happened?"

She again winced at the sting of the wipe, "I had a nightmare," she whispered.

"It looks like it was a pretty bad one." She nodded slowly in agreement.

"What the hell happened in here?" A voice shouted in surprise. Clint stood, staring in wonder at the mess that lay on the floor in the lab.

"It's a long story."

* * *

**_I hope you're enjoying this so far. Sorry for the slow development but it'll get better as it goes on! If you have any ideas feel free to let me know. ^^_**


	6. Stories

_**Hey people of the world. Thanks again for the support. I've been posting regularly but I'm sad to say that I may not be able to post so often now. We have the holidays coming up but straight afterwards I have pretty important exams so its rest and revision for me. I'll keep posting as much as I can, I always feel really bad if I don't update stuff. **_

_**But anyways, has everyone seen the Iron Man 3 trailer?! It was amazing imo! I can't wait to see it!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Don't worry about him, he's our friend. You can trust him." Tony had bandaged Ebony's hand and was checking to see if she had any other noticeable injuries. Bruce was explaining to Clint what had happened in the lab while he cleaned up.

"Why do I have to trust so many people now?" She replied innocently.

"That's what I keep asking _myself_."

* * *

"And you're trying to tell me she's safe?"

"She is safe. She's just finding it hard."

Clint had begun to help clean up the lab; he couldn't believe one small girl had caused all of this. "So you're telling me she holds some kind of physic power that was able to destroy half of the lab?"

"It's a sort of force-field. This one was made out of panic I believe."

"How did you manage to not get killed…? It looks like it could've at least of put you in hospital."

Bruce had been hoping to avoid this question, "Well, to your eyes, the field she creates is invisible but the Other Guy can see it as a blue light. I think its some kind of Ultraviolet ray that only those with sensitive eyes can receive."

Clint coughed pointedly but didn't say anything.

"I don't know Clint, you might be able to see them but that's not what I meant."

"So what are you going to do?" Clint asked, trying to change the subject to hide his sudden interest.

Bruce stood up, placed the pile of papers he had collected on the newly cleaned desk and looked at Ebony through the broken window. "I doubt she'll be able to sleep so I'm going to see if she would mind it if I did some tests."

"Rather you than me…"

Once the lab had been cleared to the best of their ability, Bruce and Clint walked quietly into the isolation room. The door remained open and Tony sat on the edge of the bed showing Ebony his arc reactor, she stared in wonder at the piece of metal lodged in his chest. "But what happens if it's removed?"

"Long story short, I'll die," he said bluntly, tapping the glowing glass with a hint of affection.

"Hello, how are you?" Bruce asked Ebony, looking at her bandaged hands.

She dropped her head, "I'm fine, sorry for breaking…everything."

"It's not a problem. It's you we're worried about."

"I had a nightmare and I just…" She couldn't finish.

Clint suddenly joined in the conversation, "Ebony, what was in this nightmare?"

Her head remained low, "I always have the same one." When no one asked, she continued her story, reluctantly, "I'm always in this house that's on fire and it burns and burns. People are screaming and I can't help. I try to find them but I can't. I'm scared and burning so I try to protect myself. But then I wake up and see the damage I've caused in real life."

"Well we are going to try and help you." Bruce said after a moment of silence, " but you don't seem to be in the best condition right now for us to do much."

"What will you do?" She asked, a pinch of hope in her voice.

"We'll do some scans and tests to try and see what is causing all these powers."

"I've had them all my life." Surprise shot from the men's eyes.

"You mean you had them before…" Clint spotted his mistake and closed his mouth.

"Yes. I've always had them but they never bothered me and I never used them until now. Only my family knew of them but they didn't tell anyone or act on them just in case I was taken away."

Tony didn't feel comfortable in this conversation. He had always done his best to avoid situations like this because he felt in the wrong place. He was the snarky one, the cocky one, the confident one who usually enjoyed to stay out of depressing events like this one. But he felt this strong sense of protection for Ebony, like he must be there for her and although this sensation didn't please him, he didn't mind looking out for her. She obviously needed someone.

"Don't worry, we'll find out what's going on and see if we can help." He said, comfortingly.

Ebony smiled.

* * *

Bruce, Tony and Clint had decided that they would begin the observation on Ebony after some sleep had been achieved. Clint, who was already well rested, offered to stay by Ebony's side while Bruce and Tony got some shut eye-Ebony wasn't too keen on sleeping after her nightmare. He had promised not to report to Fury while they were away and if any agents came to the door, he was to signal the all clear. So while the geniuses rested, Clint told Ebony all about the Avengers and some of the many missions the Avengers had been involved in (only the things he was authorised to tell) what had happened to his arm which he was moving very carefully-he didn't like the sling, it made him feel constricted. He accepted this girl; she didn't ask too many questions and she listened to the stories without interrupting. Although he had felt awkward about talking to this destructive stranger at first, he realised not all 'outsiders' are bad. But he made sure not to ask her any questions about her past so to avoid any unnecessary pain.

"Where is he now?" Ebony asked as Clint's story ended.

"Loki? Thor took him back to Asguard. Hopefully we'll never have to deal with something like that again!" Clint replied.

The girl looked awestruck. "So basically, the Avengers, five people and a demi-god, took on an entire alien race and a frost giant, and won."

Clint grinned, "You could say that. But it's thanks to Stark that Manhattan is still standing and it's thanks to Banner that he is still alive."

"I still can't believe that the scientist can turn into a huge green creature. He looked like a normal human to me."

"Yeah well Bruce is normal, better than normal actually. He's a pretty smart guy but his other side? He doesn't really like that part…"

"Why not?" Ebony looked curious, her heart rate had increased slightly too but she didn't know why.

Clint was hesitant, "It's not really my story to tell but Bruce hates himself for what he thinks he has made himself into. He thinks the world is better off without him. But he's wrong."

Ebony understood who Tony had been talking about now. When she was in the container, he had described someone with powers, who hated them, like her. It was Bruce. She remained quiet.

The door to the lab slid open, making both Clint and Ebony jump slightly. "Hey what're you doing in here?" When Clint saw it was Natasha, he smiled.

"Good morning. Just talking." Clint answered.

"Ah, this must be Ebony. Hi I'm Agent Romanoff." She said professionally.

"Hello," Ebony said, watching the woman carefully.

"Clint, what are you doing exactly?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm looking after Ebony until Banner returns. He is going to run some tests later but he needs to sleep first."

Natasha glanced around. "What the hell happened in here?"

Ebony hung her head. Clint just smirked, "That's exactly what I said. Turns out an experiment went wrong-nothing to worry about."

The agent put her hands on her hips, "You're lying. You should know you can't lie to me Barton."

The archer sighed and told her the story.

* * *

_**Okay well I'm off to do some sleeping. I hope you all enjoyed! Please review, it means a lot. **_


	7. The Next Day

**_Next Chapter! Phew, been revising non stop and it's only short but it's the build up to the next chapter which is a lot more interesting, trust me :3_**

* * *

Bruce returned to the lab at about 9:00 in the morning, ready to begin with the tests. He couldn't believe how much had happened in the last 24 hours but instead of pondering on it, he decided to get straight to work.

"Morning Natasha," he said pulling on his disposable white gloves when he walked into the lab.

"Banner, what are you going to be doing?" The assassin asked, walking past him, ready to leave.

"Just basic scans, blood tests, things like that." He replied, stepping towards the isolation room. He felt bad that Ebony had been forced to stay in there and now she was being lead into a series of tests and exams.

Natasha thought for a second, "She doesn't belong here, Bruce. She belongs at a home with a family."

"I know."

* * *

"Good morning," Bruce said, entering the room where the archer and the girl sat on the bed, talking about something or other, "How are you?"

"Not bad considering I haven't eaten for over 24 hours." Ebony said, jokingly. Bruce was surprised at the outburst of confidence from the timid girl he met the previous day.

"Wow. You're happy this morning." he said smiling.

She yawned, "Not really. My sarcasm is just kicking in."

"You've learned from Tony. He's the most…opposite? Person you'll ever meet. So are you still up for the tests this morning?" Bruce asked, slightly happier.

"Sure."

"Well it's best if you don't eat until afterwards. But it shouldn't take too long."

"I best be going," Clint spoke up, "I have training."

"Should you be resting your arm?" Bruce asked, raising his eyebrow.

He shrugged with one shoulder as he walked to the door, "I can do more than just shoot. See you both."

"Bye," Ebony said, disappointed that he had to leave, he had comforted her and she highly appreciated this.

Bruce sighed, "We might as well get started."

He led Ebony through to the main laboratory where six scientists were prepared for the tasks ahead. Over the following hours, she was put in strange machines where noises bounced around her head and where any claustrophobic person would be ready to have a panic attack. Her blood pressure was noted and an example was extracted from her arms. Doctors were called to check her overall well-being- her weight, her pulse etc. And finally, after all the 'human stuff' was completed the scientists could begin to analyse the data.

"Hey, how's it going?" Natasha entered the room and slipped across to Ebony who was sitting tense in a chair.

"They're just finishing off." The girl replied.

"Hmm, Banner!" She called over to the scientist; "I'm going to take Ebony now."

"And why are you going to do that?" He asked, curiously.

"Because she needs the basics now. A shower and some food should help." At the mention of food, Ebony looked up hopefully.

"You have a point there. Sure go ahead but I wouldn't let Fury catch you. He'd have your head."

Natasha sighed, "Banner, I'm a spy. I have secrets that even Fury wouldn't get out of me and I doubt he'd try…"

Ebony was lead out of the room by the red haired woman along a smart corridor being guarded by the same men that had lead her to the isolation room. She felt very intimidated by these big guns they held but somehow this woman made her feel safe. Power seemed to radiate off of her and the agents around respected her, bowing their heads as she passed.

They continued along several passages and took an elevator down a floor (Ebony had no idea this ship was so large). When the doors opened, the girl noticed that no men lined the walls here and she was again walking down a corridor when Natasha stopped by a metal door. A hologram shot out from a blue panel that sat on the side of the door and she placed her finger on it. Strangely, it understood and the panel slid up, letting them enter.

* * *

The room was…unexpected. Instead of the small bedroom she was expecting, she stepped inside a large, welcoming room. There were random, comfy chairs pushed up against the walls and a few beds separated by wall borders. In the corner, there was an amazing looking computer, a kind Ebony had never seen before. It wasn't exactly a lounge but it looked relaxing and although no one was in there, she felt happy.

"There's a bathroom off to the left and you'll find a towel and clothes in there." Natasha's voice softened, "Take your time, you've had quite a ride these past few days."

Ebony nodded gratefully and walked to the bathroom, it was quite roomy despite that this was only a bathroom on board a helicarrier. She turned on the shower and felt the warm stream of water sweep over her injured hands, and so she undressed, wincing at the sting of her injuries, before embracing the comforting water. She stood there for a bit, letting it flow over her wounds and removing all the strain from her muscles, all the stress ebbed away. The pain and tears washed away with the water and she finally felt clean, physically and emotionally.

Stepping out the shower and wrapping a plain white towel around her she turned to see the clothes that had been left for her. To her disappointment, she saw the same uniform Natasha had been wearing and she prayed, as she began to get dressed, that S.H.I.E.L.D did not want to recruit her; it was the last thing she needed.

* * *

**_Sorry it's a bit boring but it will get better. Review? Thanks for reading!_**


	8. Physics and Food

**_Sorry for the wait! I've been pretty busy... Anyways you get a little more info in this chapter. I'm sorry if it is awful and yes I know the science and everything probably doesn't make sense but I kinda like this idea :) _**

* * *

Natasha stood still watching the girl as she exited the bathroom. Although she did not care to admit it, the girl almost looked like a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, actually, she almost looked like her. He slender body easily fitted into the size of the suit she wore and her long, straight auburn hair fell down by her shoulders, framing her newly cleansed face- pale, but rather pretty and innocent. Except, like her, she wasn't innocent, she was dangerous and needed to be monitored.

"Director Fury has invited you to an Avengers meeting." Natasha announced.

"Could I get something to eat first?" Ebony asked hopefully.

"Yes. I have arranged someone to bring you up some food when we're there."

Reluctantly, Ebony followed the woman from the room and back through the complex of the ship. Despite the fast pace, she managed to steal a glance through a passing window, it was raining slightly but the sun was still in the sky however she hadn't a clue of the time, she hadn't for the past two days.

* * *

They arrived at the conference room to see the Avengers settled around the table, squabbling about something or other. As they entered, the din faded and Ebony felt all eyes on her.

"Welcome Agent. I assume everything went okay?" A man dressed in black with an eye-patch asked in a voice that chilled her blood.

"No sir, no problems," Natasha answered, sitting down in an empty chair next to Clint

The man at the head of the table looked at her next, with a curious but intimidating glare, "And you are Ebony correct. I'm Colonel Fury."

She opened her mouth to reply but her voice had refused so instead, she nodded hesitantly.

"Take a seat."

The only spare seat she saw was one between agent Romanoff and a man she had never met before. He had smart blond hair swept back off his face and his overall build was impressive, big muscles bulging from his shirt and powerful fists clenched on the table. However, he smiled at her and that was something she appreciated, "Hi, I'm Steve Rodgers, nice to meet you."

"Hello, I'm Ebony," She replied quietly.

A second man, also blond and strong looking called over to her. He was wearing a strange amour and clutched a large hammer in his fists. "I am Thor of Asguard, God of Thunder." She thought his loud voice and strong words scary at first but like Steve, he smiled at her, making this whole situation easier. She already knew the rest of the Avengers and some of their backgrounds thanks to Clint.

As she took her seat, Tony spoke up, "So what exactly are we doing here?" He sounded irritable and was not in the mood for anything stupid.

Fury cleared his throat, "To discuss our _friend_ here." At this, the Avengers lifted their heads to stare at their 'boss' and Ebony shifted uncomfortably; she knew where this was going. "As you may know, she possesses certain qualities we must contain. Banner has run some tests on her and can identify how these so-called powers operate."

"It's strange how they seem to work, something I have never paid much attention to. Her brain cells are more concentrated and each one of them releases a greater number of brain waves compared to any human I have seen. I'm not fully trained in this field when it comes to the Biological side however I do know that wave frequency's like this have caused problems in humans, usually paralyzing them or disabling them because their body cannot control or handle the extra exposure to these waves. These people are usually extremely light sleepers because of the constant state of awareness and when they do sleep, dreams are certain to occur because the brain finds it's self awake and active." The whole room hung on Bruce's explanation and when no one raised their hand to ask a question, he continued.

"But Ebony's body deals with these waves in a different way, her brain has found a solution to the excessive waves. It has forced the brain waves to basically stop around her body using the extra brain cells, and this has created a sort of invisible force around her skin and also internally, protecting her organs."

"So she's creating a force field using brain waves? Impossible…" Natasha muttered.

"I know it sounds impossible but hey, I can turn into a 'giant green rage monster' to quote Tony here and right at this table we have a demi god who likes pop tarts." Tony chuckled at this.

"But there must be a reason to why they can be controlled like this. No way it is possible to _stop brainwaves_, you can't just stop them from travelling." Clint said, confused.

"No you can't," Bruce said, "But try and think of it like sunblock. It only absorbs or reflects the harmful rays of the sun so in some sense, the energy still lives. I think this field is like that in terms of protection."

"So how does she create the forces that she can?" Steve asked simply.

Bruce hesitated, "This is a trickier subject. The waves in the field build up over time and actually mount faster when the subject is thinking more or dreaming." This caught Ebony's attention. "The waves need to be filtered somehow so her brain sends certain waves, or thoughts, out to mentally control these rays. I think if she tried, she could possibly _bend _these forces and use them as a powerful attack."

"I can bend the lightning," Thor interrupted, simply but truthfully.

Bruce smiled and nodded, "Yes Thor, it's similar to that."

"But this power, if it is made out of brainwaves and frequencies, then how come it could support a full grown man in an Iron Man suit?" Tony asked smiling slightly; he found this discussion rather amusing.

Steve laughed, "I wouldn't call you… fully grown."

Bruce let out a laugh as Tony kicked Steve from under the table. Instead of hurting him, Tony grabbed his foot; he forgot Steve was as hard as nails… "I don't know Tony- it's something we'll have to figure out. It's along the lines of strength. The more intense the waves, the stronger they are."

"But…" Clint started to say something but was cut off as the door to the room slid open and a man carrying a tray appeared.

"Ah thank you," Natasha said, accepting the tray and handing it to Ebony. Ebony admired the food that sat in front of her, she was too hungry to even care what it was but she picked up a shiny apple that sat on the edge on the metal and bit into it, smiling at the flavour.

The Avengers smiled too.

* * *

_**Sorry for the cheesy ending and stuff. I'm pretty stressed out but should be back to normal soon! Thanks again for reading :) **_


	9. Keep Sakes

_**Hello again! Sorry for the delay. I had exams and then I decided to get sick... But here it is! Sorry if it sucks, I've gone kind of brain dead after these exams.**_

* * *

It had been a few days since the conference and everyone had seemingly relaxed. Fury was still unsure about Ebony's control on her powers but there had been no incidents since the nightmare, Bruce and Tony had been working hard in the lab to see if they could figure anything else out about the girl but Ebony herself had been bored out of her mind. Each day she either had to sit quietly in her temporary room or sit quietly in the lab, both options she didn't like.

She had spent her days in London, roaming around the streets, using her powers only for collecting what was necessary to survive and had never had to sit still for so long. So, five days after the nightmare, she decided she'd had enough and dragged her self off her bed. She dressed into her S.H.I.E.L.D uniform and headed out into the passageways.

She had never been in such a place as this. The whole structure seemed… unreal, even the simple things like the doors- everything was so futuristic and alive.

* * *

She found herself an hour later, wandering into a large room with markings on the wooden floor, she assumed this was the gym. A large, thick, black mat lay in the corner and several punch-bags hung from metal railings but what impressed her most was a huge, glass container, which sat at the back of the room. She listened to her echoing footsteps as she neared it and she felt her mouth grow into a grin as she observed the objects that lay within. They belonged to the Avengers.

There were six trophies standing proudly on a shelf and the S.H.I.E.L.D logo was carved into each, in front of each one laid a specific object. She read the names printed on each award out loud, "Steve Rodgers, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Thor and Bruce Banner." Laughing at her stupid thoughts, she wondered why Thor didn't have a surname, sure he was a demi-god but that doesn't mean he shouldn't have a last name.

Still giggling to herself, she examined the objects carefully; they looked precious and well cared for. There was a small round object, which looked like a large plate at first glance, but she then realized that it was a type of shield. As she stared at it, Ebony noticed that she had seen it before… it was on the bridge. That was the last image that flashed through her head before everything went black. Her head ached at this memory and so she moved on to the next item that was easily recognisable as an arrow.

This one, however, looked different from other traditional arrows, it had a very neat tail and the tip of it was very small but also deadly looking. She remembered Clint telling her about his weapons, he had informed her of a phrase, '_don't judge a book by its cover, because in this case, the book will kill you_.'

Next to the arrow laid a metal glove type thing. It was painted a bright red colour, which made it a very expensive looking item. But what caught her eye was the light that shone from the centre of the strange object. It was a weapon and a very impressive looking one too.

She was having a good time admiring these strange items but the next one seemed to be an ordinary gun. She then remembered that it's not the weapon that is used, but the skill of the person who wields it. Natasha Romanoff was an amazing person, not just her obvious power and strength but her kindness and pride. She deserved this award.

In the next space sat a hammer. It obviously wasn't a normal hammer but it looked very old, yet it also looked strong. Its head was top heavy and bore a symbol she had never seen before. She knew it belonged to the demi-god- who else would carry around an ancient hammer- but why was it in this case?

Finally, she moved onto the last spot. This one was most definitely the most peculiar. It was a test-tube. One of those you would find in a laboratory, but inside, instead of some sort of chemical, sat a flower. She couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"One, two, three. One, two, three," Ebony grunted. She had decided that staring at some random objects for over twenty minutes was just as bad as sitting quietly so she had picked up a pair of boxing gloves and threw a few punches at the limp, leather bag. She felt all her anger return to her, but then fade just as fast as it had risen. Somehow, she liked the feeling of empting herself of all built up emotion without worrying about hurting someone, so she remained there.

She didn't even notice when the door opened, allowing access to someone who watched her with interest.

"You're quite good at that." Ebony spun round, surprised until she saw it was only Natasha. The agent walked over to the girl and handed her a towel, which Ebony accepted quite gratefully. "I have been asked to come and invite you to our movie night." When all she got in return was an amused look from the girl, she continued, "look, we might be highly trained, deadly assassins who have saved the world many times but we need a break too." Natasha had to supress a smile as Ebony swallowed. "I think this might count as a break for you as well."

The girl smiled as she removed her gloves, "yeah, that sounds… fun. Thanks."

Natasha relaxed slightly, "you're welcome. But, you may need a shower first."

They both laughed and Ebony nodded. Somehow she felt happier. That rare feeling of accomplishment that she hadn't felt for years now. She was beginning to trust again.

* * *

_**I dunno. I just felt like it needed something and this is what my messed up brain thought of! Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for the support, it really does mean a lot! 3 :P**_


	10. Movie Night

**I'm sorry! I'm so so so so so sorry it's been so long! I've literally had 101 things to do and almost no time to do them all it. I'm doing my first year of GCSEs so I'm stressed out and stuff. If I'm not studying for a test, I'm sleeping and vice-versa. But here it is, the next chapter. It's pretty rubbish but it's all I could manage. Thank You for those who continue to read, I appreciate it so much!**

* * *

"Pfft, that's impossible, that's impossible, and that's impossible…"

"Tony,"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up?"

"But how is that possible? Floating mountains in the sky! In the sky!"

"Tony, you are sitting in a room with a man who lives in a city in space and wields a hammer that can kill all of us in one stroke."

"But how can mountains float? Seriously, either there is no gravity in that particular part of the planet, or they are full of helium. It's impossible!"

"Tony! Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"Oh, believe me, I will…"

"Bring it on!"

And that's the day Tony Stark got beaten up by a woman. For the rest of the film, he sat, curled up on the edge of one of the sofas holding an ice pack over one of his eyes and mumbling under his breath.

"Wait, I don't understand. Why exactly are they fighting? Over a rock? Really?" Clint said with a tone of sarcasm in his voice.

Natasha sighed, "Are you really starting this again? Do you want me to make you cry like Tony?"

Tony's head shot up and he glared at Natasha.

"I do not understand either, friends. Why don't these blue humans just call forth the power of their gods and use it to smite their enemies?" Thor asked, genuine curiosity in his deep voice.

"Because Thor, this is a movie, it doesn't have to make sense. And most worlds don't believe in gods with lightning hammers that can also fly." Natasha answered rather sarcastically.

"But this world worships a tree…" Tony said, yet again, irritating the agent.

"No, they worship Eywa. They communicate to her through the tree's system." Steve answered, matter-of-factly.

Tony seemed annoyed at this, "It's hardly communication. They're talking to a tree with sparkly vines."

"It doesn't have to make sense! If you're not careful, I'll make you cry again." Natasha sneered, warningly.

"I didn't cry!"

"You did, however, get beaten up by a woman…" Steve interjected. He found this whole situation rather amusing, as did Ebony. She sat with her legs tucked up to her chest on one of the large, soft chairs and was giggling subtly, only an hour ago, she was nervous about joining the Avengers to watch a movie. She thought that she would be ruining their time and making the atmosphere in the room awkward, however, the group welcomed her and not once had the topic of her 'powers' or the fact that she found it hard to control them popped up.

"Natasha doesn't count." Tony murmured.

The assassin whipped her head round and let Tony have a dose of one of her piercing stares, "What?" She said darkly.

Tony's face drained of colour, "I meant you're too… brilliant? Yeah, too brilliant to be counted as a woman!"

"And by brilliant, he means deadly," Steve laughed, unaware of the death stare of Natasha boring into him.

Clint saw the oncoming danger and decided that an angry Natasha was not a good thing, "And by deadly he means drop-dead gorgeous!"

Ebony couldn't stop herself laughing as the group quarrelled about something so easily avoided. Bruce had suggested watching 'Avatar', which sounded like a good idea at the time, but being a scientist and having the brain that questions everything, Tony found it hard not to voice his opinions. Bruce, however, was much better at keeping his concealed. Thor simply ignored the yelling and continued to watch the screen in front of him; he smiled though at the snarky comments that were sent back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball.

* * *

A while later, the young girl made her way back to her bedroom. Her auburn hair bounced as she half walked, half skipped along the passage. The last time she felt this joyful, was years ago when she and her sister would spend their time chucking snow balls at each other in the winter. She hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time and as she accessed the room to her door and sat down on her bed, she realised that although everything was not okay, there was now hope. There was now something to work towards. And she wouldn't have to do it alone.

* * *

The rest of the Avengers, minus Bruce and Tony who had something to check on in the lab, walked merrily along the corridor to their rooms.

"I don't care, Clint! I could still beat you without my shield!" Steve grinned, trying to wind up the agent.

"Oh yeah? I doubt it," said Clint, slyly dropping a hint at the super-soldier.

Thor's booming voice echoed around them, "Silly humans, I could crush you both with just one fist."

"But Thor, you're a god! We can't beat that," Steve admitted.

"I could beat you though, Steve." Clint said, smiling.

Steve pushed him jokingly, which knocked him into one of the doors that lined the wall. "See that? I'm not even trying."

Natasha giggled, "I could beat you both with one hand tied behind my back…"

Both men looked at her and laughed, "Is that a challenge?" Clint asked.

"Only if you want it to be." She said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

"Well then, tomorrow morning during training. Steve, you going to join in?" Clint said, countering Natasha's stare with a look of his own.

"No, bad idea, anyways, I don't hit girls," he smiled before entering his own room.

"I will not take part either, I do not want to harm you," Thor said, stepping into the next room along.

"Well then, just us." Natasha smiled evilly.

"It looks that way. I'll see you tomorrow Romanoff, good luck." Clint replied, mockingly.

* * *

"Wait so what happens when they build up to the point when they are no longer supportable?" Tony asked. Bruce and himself were huddled over a diagram of a human with lines representing waves surrounding it.

"It becomes to much. Either the waves crush her from the inside of the field or they are all forced out of it." Bruce replied.

"So basically, she'd either implode or explode?"

"Yes, I believe so. But there is no need to worry. If we can teach her to control them then she can release them whenever she wants without any danger to herself or anyone else."

Tony scratched his chin, "How are we going to teach what we don't know?"

"I don't know yet. But we need to figure it out soon or she could be in trouble." Bruce replied, unsure. There was a moment of silence before Tony voiced his mind.

"How has she managed to deal with it for so long? She says she's had these powers all of her life but how has she managed to control them? Surely she wouldn't be able too…"

"That, Tony is a very good question. We need to try and get her to release the energy safely but properly and we need to figure out how to do this quickly, before something else happens."

* * *

**So what did you think? Again I'm sorry for the delay and thanks to anyone who has read this far. **

**Especially ****_I Know Love Hurts 2010, Lollypops101, Lorendiac, Kissbeforemidnight, Horizon Gus Watson _****and****_ KuroHi91_**** for your support :)**


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